Members of the Sierra Club are in the midst of balloting over their organization’s position on immigration – whether to further restrict immigration to limit population growth in the United States. It’s a controversial topic to say the least.
Before voting, however, they may want to read "Fewer: How the New Demography of Depopulation Will Shape Our Future" by Ben Wattenberg. In this book Wattenberg argues that the global decline in fertility/birth rates will ultimately – this century – lead to depopulation not overpopulation. He also argues that the negative economic consequences of depopulation will be cushioned in the United States because of our more liberal immigration policies.
Immigration and overpopulation may not be the real problem in the long-term.
UPDATE: 4/26/05 – The Associated Press reports that the members of the Sierra Club rejected the anti-immigration policy:
"Sierra Club members rejected a change in the group’s immigration policy that would have advocated reducing migration to the United States as a way to lessen the environmental consequences of population growth.
The proposal was defeated by nearly 84 percent of the 122,308 members who voted, the club announced in a statement. About 16 percent of the club’s more than 750,000 members cast ballots during voting that began in early March."
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